Tongs and gripping jaws therefor



Apnl 5, 1955 A. BARCHOFF 2,705,653

TONGS AND GRIPPING JAWS THEREFOR Filed Sept. 10, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q INVENTOR AaeA/MM fiheavor BY w ATTORNEY April 5, 1955 BARCHOFF 2,705,658

TONGS AND GRIPPING JAWS THEREFOR Filed Sept. 10, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Male/IMAM 54Kf/0FF BY m W ATTORNEY United States Patent T ONGS AND GRIPPING JAWS THEREFOR Abraham Barcholf, New York, N. Y., assignor to Eastern Brass & Copper Co., Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 10, 1952, Serial No. 308,803

Claims. (Cl. 294-118) This invention relates to tongs and more particularly to jaws of such tongs which are adapted to universal engagement of loads having different outlines and characteristics.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a tong device which lends itself to the handling of conventional loads and packages, such as crates, ingots and other objects, which may be impaled between opposite piercing points, as well as rolls of metal which can be lifted by supporting the roll on the opposite ends of its internal lateral surface with the roll axis along a horizontal line.

It is a further object of the invention to provide jaws for tong devices having opposed piercing points to engage an object, and alternatively to provide smoothly rounded surfaces on said jaws to engage the opposite ends of internal lateral surfaces or rolls without marring or scratching said surfaces.

It is a further object of the invention to provide jaws for a tong which may be rapidly and conveniently changed from a single point engagement to a multiple point engagement.

Another object of the invention is to provide detachable points interchangeably connected to tong jaws, which connections may be executed rapidly and which permit an adjustable extension of the points from the aws.

Other objects and purposes will appear from the detailed description of the invention following hereinafter, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein Fig. l is a plan view of the tong jaws of the invention in operative engagement with a crate;

Fig. 2 is a right end view of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of one of the jaws of the tong device which is adapted for alternate piercing and supporting functions;

F Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view along line 4-4 of Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the tongs in position for supporting a roll of metal, which roll is partially shown in section;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the elements of an adapter in separated position which may be mounted on the jaw of each tong to change the impaling jaw from a single point to a multiple point engagement;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing the adapter in assembled position on the jaw; and

Fig. 8 is a horizontal sectional view along line 8-8 of Fig. 7.

The drawings illustrate a crossed-lever tong device composed of levers 1 and 1 which are pivotally joined togather at an intermediate point 5 with the tong jaws 10 mounted at the lower extremities thereof and with the upper ends joined to another set of levers 2, 2' at pivot bolts 6. The upper ends of the levers 2, 2 are pivotally joined together and to a hook 3 to which is connected a hoisting chain or rope 4 as is well known in the art.

The lever 1 may be formed of congruous parts between which the lever 1' is adapted to be mounted. Both levers 1 and 1 are built up at the lower ends to provide a rugged mounting for the jaws 10. An insert 15 may be disposed between the congruous levers 1 which is maintained in integrated connection with the latter by means of a plurality of rivets 18. Similarly the lower end of lever 1' may be built up by lateral reenforcements 2,705,658 Patented Apr. 5, 1955 ice shank 11 terminates in a smoothly rounded portion 10a. An opening 14 is provided centrally of the jaw at the end opposite the shank 11 which is adapted to receive a center-point 12 having a diameter but slightly less than the diameter of the opening in the jaw. A set-screw 13 is mounted in a transverse bore 13 extending from a point in the lateral surface of the jaw 10 for the purpose of fixing the center-point 12 within the bore 14.

The setscrew 13 is provided with an hexagonal recess at the head end for the accommodation of an Allen wrench to permit the release of the clamping engagement of the set-screw against the lateral wall of center-point 12, enabling the removal of the center-point from the bore or its adjustable setting at variable points along the opening 14.

In Fig. 1 is shown the jaws 10 threadedly mounted at the ends of the levers 1 and in position to impale an object such as a crate, an ingot or the like, between the center-points 12.

The cylindrical jaws 10, fitted with the smoothly rounded ends 10a render the tongs suitable for the handling of rolls of material such as sheet metal by support ing the opposite ends of the internal lateral surface of the rolled body upon the jaws. This mode of operation is illustrated in Fig. 5 wherein the cylindrical jaws 10 support the opposite ends of the internal wall of the roll without scratching or marring of the body. In such cases when the rolls are of narrower dimension, the point of support of the roll body moves from the points indicated in Fig. 5 and comes to rest upon the rounded portions 10a, without the points 12 coming into contact with the internal surface of the roll. The adjustment of the center-points 12 within the cylindrical jaws 10 enables a withdrawal of such points, so that no possibility arises of interference in the supporting function by the points wheili the tongs are used in the handling of rolls of materia In some instances it is desirable that the tongs impale bodies at a plurality of points. Therefore the invention contemplates an adapter which may be selectively attached to the jaws to provide a plurality of engaging points on each jaw. This adapter is self-aligning and consists of a plate 20 which is provided with a bore sufficiently large to be slipped over the cylindrical jaw 10. This element is self aligning by the provision of a threaded opening 26 therein which is in alignment with an additional threaded bore 17 at the end of each jaw, above the bore 16 therein. A threaded bolt 25 engaging the threads in the openings 26 and 17 serves to rigidly fix the plate 20 adjacent to the ends of the tong levers. A pair of centering points 22 are mounted in openings therefor in plate 20 below the main opening 21 and symmetrically with respect thereto. These center-points are fastened in the block by means of set-screws 23 extending from the lateral walls of the adapter plate 20, as clearly shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8. These set-screws permit an adjustment of the degree of extension of the centering points and preferably these extensions coincide with the extension of the main point 12 from the cylindrical jaw 10. On the other hand, the points 22 may extend to a lesser or greater extend than point 12 relative to the face of adapter plate 20, depending upon the different shapes of the loads handled by the tongs.

The attachment and detachment of the adapter plates 20 to the ends of the tong levers constitutes a very simple operation and provides a convenient modification of the gripping jaws of the tongs at little cost and effort.

More than one adapter plate with differently arranged points projecting therefrom may be used for mounting on the jaws 10.

While I have described my invention as embodied in a specific form and as operating in a specific manner for purposes of illustration, it should be understood that I do not limit my invention thereto, since various modifications will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention, the scope of which is set forth in the annexed claims.

I claim:

1. A tong device having opposed gripping jaws at the opposite ends thereof, a fixed projection extending inwardly from each jaw having a smoothly rounded top face for supporting an object between said faces, a plate slidable on said projection and fastenable to each jaw, and sharpened projection points extending inwardly from said plates to adapt the tongs to impale an object therebetween.

2. A tong device having opposed gripping jaws at the opposite ends thereof, a fixed cylindrical projection extending inwardly from each jaw having smoothly rounded top and end faces for supporting an object between said faces, a plate provided with a circular hole for mounting on each projection, bolt means for fastening each plate to its respective jaw, and sharpened projection points extending inwardly from said plates to adapt the tongs to impale an object therebetween.

3. A device as set forth in claim 2 wherein said lastnlientioned projections are detachably seated in said p ate.

4. A tong device having opposed gripping jaws at the opposite ends thereof, a fixed cylindrical projection extending inwardly from each jaw, each projection having smoothly rounded top and end faces for supporting an object between said faces, a plate provided with a circular hole for mounting on each projection, a pair of sharpened points extending inwardly from each of said plates symmetrically on each side and below said hole to adapt the tongs to impale an object therebetween, and a sharpened point extending from said cylindrical projection coextensively with said pair of points, each sharpened point cooperating with said pair of points to hold the object therewith.

5. A device as set forth in claim 4 wherein said sharpened points are seated adjustably and detachably within said plate and cylindrical projection.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 201,230 Yongh Mar. 12, 1878 263,729 Schonhofi Sept. 5, 1882 363,744 Hopkins May 24, 1887 2,151,266 Clitherow Mar. 21, 1939 2,174,254 Black Sept. 26, 1939 2,367,252 Williams Jan. 16, 1945 FOREIGN PATENTS 129,532 Germany Mar. 19, 1902 

